Firearm



SePf- 29, 1942- E. F. Kox-:HLER 2,299,998-

FIREARM Filed April 25, 1939 D )|16 y m 4.2 "lill/11M,

20 vi-v Z1 30 '"7 g2 23 Vif,"

INVEN OR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1942 FREARM Ernest F. Koehler, Berlin, Mass.

Application April 25, 1939, Serial No. 269,827

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a firearm and'more especially to automatic pistols.

In the usual automatic or autoloading pistol means is provided for disconnecting the trigger from the firing mechanism each time the arm is fired, it being necessary for the shooter to release the trigger before the same may be manipulated to nre the next shot. In many cases, especially where the shooter is under nervous tension, he attempts tu re the succeeding shot without such release of the trigger with resulting delay which may be serious especially when the weapon is used for defensive purposes.

One of the more general objects of the present invention is to bring about a form of trigger mechanism for an automatic weapon of the pistol type wherein the trigger must be manipulated for each succeedingshot but wherein the trigger is automatically set in position to ilre such a shot without conscious effort or action on the part of the shooter.

A further object of the invention is to bring about a form of trigger mechanism capable not only of producing the above results but which is of such a nature that the trigger may not be manipulated to fire a shot except when the mechanism of the pistol is in ring position.

A still further object of the invention is to bring about a form of automatic pistol of the magazine type wherein the same may be rendered incapable of being red upon the magazine being withdrawn from the weapon.

To these and other ends the invention resides ln the novel features an'd combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an autoloading pistol having the improvements of the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in a different position during the firing of the pistol;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the firing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the means for preventing firing of the pistol when the magazine is removed, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the parts in a different position.

Referring now to the drawing in which I have illustrated my invention by showing a preferred embodiment of the same, the reference numeral l@ indicates, in general, a pistol which may be varied in many details within the invention but which in this instance is provided with a frame Il which frame at its forward end rigidly supports a barrel I2, a lspring housing I3, telescoped over the barrel I2, containing a return spring I4, connected to the slide I5, the latter being supported for rearward and forward sliding movement towards and away from the breech end of the barrel I2, by ways formed on the frame Il.

The slide I5 houses at its lower end a striker I6, which is mounted for axial movement towards the breech end of the barrel, the striker being impelled by main spring l1 received at one end within the bore I8, of the striker, the opposite end of the spring being supported in the slide I5. It will be understood without further description that when the striker is released for firing of a cartridge, in a manner to be hereinafter fully described, the striker moves forwardly under the pressure of the spring I1 until the .nose I9 of the striker compresses the primer of a cartridge supported in the chamber of the barrel, whereupon the pressure generated by the firing of-the cartridge drives the empty case of the latter together with the slide and striker rearwardly, the pistol shown herein being of the blow back type.

The striker I6 is provided with a sear notch or shoulder 20 which upon rearward movement of the striker is carried rearwardly beyond the nose 2l of the sear 22, the latter being mounted for pivotal movement on the frame II by means of pin 23, forward movement of the striker I6, upon the return movement of the slide I5, being arrested by engagement of the sear nose 2| with the sear notch 20. The sear is constantly urged into engagement with the striker by the fiat spring 24 mounted in the frame Il at one side of the magazine well 25, the upper end of the spring 24 pressing on the tail 26 of the sear and swinging the sear about its pivot pin in a clockwise direction. It will be noted that the lower side of the slide I5 is provided with a downwardly opening slot 2l in which the striker arm rides, the sear notch or shoulder 20 being on the forward end of the arm, the sear 22 swinging upwardly into the slot to engage the sear notch.

For the purpose of disengaging the nose of the sear from the striker to fire the pistol, the sear is provided with an actuator 28 pivotally supported on the Sear pin 23, the actuator having a rearward face 29 which i5 normally maintained in contact with the forward face 30 of the sear by actuator spring 3| carried in an up- The trigger 34 is supported for rearward and forward movements in the recess 35 of the frame I I, the trigger having a laterally offset rearwardly directed arm 38 which lies immediately below the actuator arm at the same side of the magazine well, the rearward end of the trigger arm being supported in the outwardly facing slot 31 in the frame H. Extending upwardly from the trigger arm 36, intermediate its length, is a iinger 38, having at its upper end a downwardly and rearwardly extending cam face 39, the latter during the pulling of the trigger, that is to say, the rearward motion of the trigger under finger pressure, engaging the curved cam face "on the forward end of the actuator arm 33. It will be readily seen that rearward motion of the trigger, and thus the cam 39, .will effect upward swinging movement of the actuator arm and thus movement of the actuator and sear in a direction to disengage the sear nose from the striker shoulder. now to be described the sear would remainout of the path of the striker shoulder as long as the trigger Was pressed.

On the upper forward end of the actuator 2l is an upwardly extending convex projection or lug 4|, the lug 4l being opposite a downwardly opening transverse slot 42 in the lower side of the slide I5, the slot 42 being shaped to receive and form clearance for the lug 4| upon the movement of the actuator 28 by the trigger on firing of the'pistol. As soon as the slide recoils rearwardly the actuator is forced to swing downwardly by the curved edges of the slot 42 until the lower edge of the slide clears the actuator, this downward movement of the actuator permitting upward swinging movement of the sear into sear notch engaging position. At the same time the downward movement of the actuator arm and particularly the cam face 40 thereof, through its engagement with the cam face 39 of the trigger arm 36 forces the trigger forwardly. As soon Except for the features of the inventionA as the slide has completed.. its rearward motion it is returned to its original position by the recoil spring. I4, and if the pressure is again applied tothe trigger or maintained thereon by the finger, the projection or lug 4i lmay again pass into the slot 42 to fire the pistol.

From the above description it will be readily seen that the return motion of the trigger is positive and does not depend on conscious 'release of the trigger by the shooter so that the pistol may be fired repeatedly by application of pressure on the trigger. However, it will also be seen that the pistol in no case can be fired except when the bolt is fully clo'sed, to bring the slot A42 opposite the lug 4| of the actuator.

In order that the pistol may be safe against firing when the magazine is withdrawn a magazine trigger lock is provided herein which automatically locks the trigger against motion when the magazine is withdrawn. In the form shown the lock consists of a lever 43 mounted for pivotal movement on frame H by means of pin 44, the lever 43 being mounted immediately below the trigger arm and urged constantly into accesos the position shown in 5 by the coiled spring 45 mounted on the pin 4 and having one end in engagement with the lever 43, the other end of the spring engaging Vthe frame. The trigger is provided with a shoulder 4S in this instance formed by the lateral offset positionof trigger arm, the end 41 of the lever engaging the-shoulder, when the magazine is removed, to prevent rearward or firing movement of the trigger. The opposite end of the lever extends into the magazine well in the path of the magazine 48. As the latter is inserted it engages and swings the lever 43 into the position shown in Fig. 6 wherein the end 41 of the lever is out ofthe Apath of the shoulder 4 3 on the trigger. In this position the trigger may move into firing position. When the magazine is emptiedandremoved the spring 45' will return the lever into its original position opposing movement of the trigger.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it will -be readily understood that'it is not to be limited Yto the details shown, but is capable of modication and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination in an autoloading weapon having a frame, a recoil retracted bolt mounted for movement on the frame and .having a notch provided` in the underside thereof and -a spring 'impelled striker mounted in the boltand provided with a scar notch, of a seat lpivoted on the frame, a spring normally urging the sear towards the striker to engage the sear notch to hold the striker in retracted position, a sear actuator pivotally mounted on the frame and including a spring located between the sear and the sear actuator for normally urging the sear actuator in one direction into engagement with the sear and toward the notch provided in th;- bolt, a trigger, connections between the trigger and sear actuator for swinging the latter, together with the sear, into striker releasing position upon the application of finger pressure to the trigger, and for simultaneously moving the sear actuator into the bolt notch, whereby a recoil of the bolt forces the sear actuator to positively return the trigger under finger pressure and mto position to release the sear for re-engagement with the striker.

2. The combination in an autoloading weapon having a frame, a recoil retracted bolt slidably mounted on the frame, a striker and a spring for impelling the striker, of a sear pivoted on the frame, spring means for constantly urging the sear towards the striker to engage and hold the same in retracted position, a sear actuator pivotally supported on the frame for movement in one direction to disengage the sear from the striker and in the opposite direction to free the sear for engagement with the striker, said actuator having a radial arm, a trigger on said fra'me having an arm in engagement with the sear actuator arm for pivotal movement of the sear actuator into position to disengage the sear from the striker, and co-operating means on the bolt and sear actuator for swinging the sear actuator together with the trigger back into position to release the sear for engagement with the striker upon recoil movement of the bolt.

ERNEST F. KOEHLER. 

